“Our greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding at things in life that don’t really matter.”
Do you ever wonder just where in the heck the years go? Why is it that as we get older, it seems like the years go by faster? Has another year clicked by and some of your biggest dreams are still off in ’someday-land’?
Well, we’re here again at another calendar changing moment, so it’s a good time to reflect and see what we can do to start 2017 on a positive note with a mindset that moves us forward in the direction of our dreams. A number of different surveys and studies have looked at the biggest regrets that people have at the end of their lives, and consistently, there’s one that tops the list. “I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.”
Of course things like wishing that one had said ‘I love you’ more often, speaking the truth, working less, and making more time for friends are also up the in the pantheon of end-of-life regrets, but for this New Years manifesto, I’ll stick with our dreams, and hopefully inspire you to be more true to yourself and make progress towards your loftiest goals.
Personally, for me it comes down to faith in the process, and continually refining the habits that keep me on track. It’s not just reaching a goal that’s important, getting to the destination can feel hollow if we don’t enjoy the journey. One of the main indicators of happiness in our lives is whether or not we feel like we are making progress.
So in a nutshell, it’s about keeping one eye focused on our long-term vision, while putting one foot in front of the other, regularly taking steps towards our goals. Often it’s useful to break down our goals into tiny chunks, and take them one at a time to keep the feeling of progress alive. When our goals are too large and nebulous, it’s way too easy to push them onto the back burner for yet another day.
Letting the thought “one of these days I’m going to write my book” cross your mind daily without action corrodes your soul, while simply building a half hour of daily writing into your routine is regular nourishment for your spirit that gets you closer to a first draft one page at a time.
The reason I’m musing along these lines for you in my first Monday Love of the year is to remind you that that nobody’s perfect, yet we all have the potential for excellence inside us. One of my favorite quotes is “Perfection is the enemy of excellence.” Excellence is a subjective quality that holds different meaning for all of us, it varies depending on taste, yet we all know it when we see it. Perfection, however, is also the friend of procrastination. By holding ourselves to an impossible standard, we give ourself an excuse to never finish.
My year began with a typical helping of human foibles. After a week on the road enjoying family travels, I found myself dancing with a cold-bug, developing a sore throat during my last DJ set of the year at Dance Jam. Then on New Years Eve my lower back gave a ‘pop’ as I reached into the oven, guaranteeing me some time to contemplate my physicality while I wait to see my chiropractor on Wednesday.
If anything, these minor setbacks have given me all the more reason to be upbeat and positive. My chiropractor is awesome, (Dr Prins in Alameda), and I love catching up with him, so we must be long overdue. And no sooner than I admitted that a cold had taken up residence in my head I stumbled across three grocery bags full of home-grown oranges and Meyer lemons left on the curb by a generous neighbor, one of which was obviously meant to come home with me and juice away my sniffles.
Back to the real topic of today’s rambling New Years essay, and my intention to start the year off with a book recommendation. I want to encourage you to go for your biggest dreams, and I recently ran across one of the most powerful little volumes you can imagine to help you get out of your own way.
“The War of Art” is a short non-fiction book by acclaimed novelist Steven Pressfield. In it, he illuminates resistance as a ruthless shadow to our creative process and shows the many subtle and seductive ways the shadow of resistance sabotages our dreams, our goals, and our higher calling. You’re the only one who can sing your song, write your story, dance your dance, or build your business. You’re not here to find meaning in life, you’re here to create it.
You’ll be hard pressed to find a better read to motivate you and clearly call out so many of the common ways we find to postpone and put off our greatness. There’s a big dream inside you, and I hope that you are well on the way to making it happen and in love with the process as you move forward. And if there’s anything on your back burners that you’ll regret not going for when your time is up, then I urge you to put a copy of this book into your toolbox and stoke your metaphysical fires to make it happen.
And with that, may you keep all ten toes on your surfboard of positivity as you ride the waves into the New Year!
With love and light,
M+
Mark Metz
Director of the Dance First Association
Publisher of Conscious Dancer Magazine
Dance First Member Spotlight! The Morning Sojourn
Want to dial in your dreams and polish up your process? How about getting your year off on a positive note and manifesting your mojo with movement and music in your own home or a nearby studio?
We’re only a week away from the start of The Morning Sojourn, the innovative international dance experience created by the well-loved Portland-based Soul Motion luminary Winky Wheeler.
Not long ago I wrote about this experience with an aim towards studios or fledgling facilitators who want to participate in a ready-made series, with all the music and framework provided. Now I’m spreading the word to all of you avid dancers who would like to join in this unique sequence of daily dances, delivered directly to you in the company of other like-minded movers around the world.
Asking the question “What happens when you start your day with dance?” this virtual journey invites you to move for an hour each morning for 14 straight days and write about the process as you go. You’re provided with a personal SoJournal to record your thoughts and inspirations, and you’re included in a private Facebook group where you can share your insights with other SoJourners from around the world.
Now is the time to sign up and reserve your spot, and there’s still time to join as a host studio or gather a group to share the journey with friends.
Learn more at The Morning Sojourn website.
The Morning Sojourn – Jan 9-22 – Everywhere!
